BAY COUNTY. 349 



The value of orchard products of all kinds sold or consumed in 1883 was 

 $13,152.00. 



Vineyards, 26 acres: grapes sold in 1883, 15,596 pounds. 



■wine made in 1883, 229 gallons. 

 Nurseries, 3 acres; products sold in 1883, $190.00. 

 Market garden products sold in 1883, $810.00. 



BAY COUNTY. 



Bay county was constituted and organized from the whole of Arenac 

 (which thus ceased to exist as a county, and a portion of Saginaw, by an en- 

 actment of the Legislature of the State, approved February 17th, 1857. It 

 was organized in pursuance of the same act, which was approved by the 

 voters of the three counties of Saginaw, Midland and Arenac at the regular 

 township elections, on the first Monday of the following April, whereupon 

 the enactment took effect on the 20th day of April. An election, as provided 

 in such law, was held in the new county, on the first Monday in June, 1857, 

 for the choosing of the regular county officers, and upon their becoming 

 properly qualified the organization of the new county became perfect. 



The county seat was established at Lower Saginaw, the name of which 

 place was changed to Bay City, by act of the Legislature, approved February 

 10th, 1857. • 



In 1832 Leon Tromley was a resident at what is now Bay City, where he 

 had resided some time as Indian farmer, appointed by the federal govern- 

 ment to teach the Indians agriculture. He had built a log house and cleared 

 and cultivated a small parcel of laud, thus became the pioneer settler at this 

 point. 



The Bay County Agricultural Society was organized in 1866. In its report 

 to the State Board of Agriculture for 1868, says : " The vegetable department 

 was well filled, and that of fruits was highly creditable. The specimens of 

 apples, pears and peaches were very fine. The soil and climate are evidently 

 favorable to fruits, and the Saginaw valley furnishes an excellent market for 

 all kinds." 



In 1869 it reported that peaches were plenty and apples as abundant as 

 could be expected from orchards as young as are the most of those in this 

 county. A very superior exhibit of fruits and vegetables was made at the 

 annual fair. 



The Bay County Horticultural Society, auxiliary to the State Horticultural 

 Society, was organized during the year 1881. 



At its meeting in June, 1882, a grand display of flowers and strawberries 

 was exhibited. Near the close of August a large and fine display of flowers 

 and also of early apples, blackberries and other fruits was made. Soon after 

 this meeting occurred the death of Mr. Wedthoff, the very efficient secretary 

 of the society, whose services were, in many ways, very sadly missed. 



The display of vegetables and fruits made by the society at the northeast- 

 ern fair attracted a great deal of attention. 



On June 19th and 20th, 1884, upon an invitation from the Bay County 

 Horticultural Society, the State Horticultural Society held a meeting at Bay 



